Pak rejects Afghan allegation of masterminding attack on Karzai

Islamabad, Jun 26 (UNI) Pakistan today rejected allegations levelled by the spokesman of the Afghan Intelligency Agency and Presidency against its premier spy agency ISI for masterminding the April 27 attack on Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

''We hope the Afghan government will adopt a serious attitude and desist from vitiating the atmosphere,'' Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq told a press briefing here, adding, ''This has not helped matters in the past and will not in the future as well.'' He pointed out that Pakistan condemned the attack and was gratified that Mr Karzai was not harmed. ''This was a natural expression of a genuine sentiment on the part of a brotherly country that wished to foster close ties with Afghanistan,'' he said.

The spokesman added that in the subsequent meetings and contacts between the two countries, no hint of any misgivings on this score was given by the Afghan side.

He expressed surprise that such allegations were being levelled at this stage. He referred to reports suggesting that the attack had something to do with a massive intelligence and security failure or some kind of problems between the Afghan intelligence apparatus and the government.

''Pakistan has noted that most of the people arrested after the attack were employees of the Afghan government including the Defence Ministry,'' Mr Sadiq said, adding it was regrettable that these allegations suggested that responsible members in the Afghan government wished to reignite the blame game.

UNI XC SKB CS1652